Refreshed and Reopened: The Florida Theatre’s renovations uncover new links to its past
After being closed since mid-July 2023, the newly renovated Florida Theatre in downtown Jacksonville is ready for the show to go on. The 96-year-old facility officially reopened on Friday, Oct. 27 in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Donna Deegan and other dignitaries, just in time for its Rocky Horror Picture Show the following day.
Renovations to the historic theatre include repairing the decorative plaster and painting it with fidelity to the 1927 color palette. The entire heating, ventilation and air conditioning system has been replaced, and the building’s electrical vault has been moved from the first to the third floor to remove any flood risk. All public restrooms have also been updated. The reopening coincides with the 40th anniversary of the last major renovation that took place in 1983. These improvements follow recent work to replace the theatre’s seats, upgrade audio and lighting, and create the Remedy Lounge expansion.
“The Florida Theatre is one of downtown Jacksonville’s gems. With its 100th birthday approaching, this is an exciting time to restore the Theatre to its full splendor,” said Mayor Donna Deegan.
Funding for the project has come from private Centennial Campaign donations, which were matched by the City of Jacksonville, as well as every Northeast Florida patron who has paid the per-ticket $4.50 restoration fee. Contractors included Auld & White Constructors, Sauer Mechanical, EverGreene Architectural Arts and Beacon Electric.
According to Jeff Greene, Executive Chairman & Founder of EverGreene Architectural Arts, The Florida Theatre project had some “unique” discoveries.
“Like the mysterious connection to John Eberson, one of America’s most prominent architects known for movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre style – the outdoor feel, inside,” said Greene. “The original four faux tapestries that hang in the Florida Theatre were painted. Since they are the same size and have the same imagery as the ones in the Tampa Theatre – which Eberson did – we were able to replicate them. When we did our forensic research and put all the Theatre finishes under the microscope, we realized they were painted with the same paint and style that Eberson used. His signature, per se. It was fascinating to see what his influence did.
“A big part of what we do at EverGreene is connect back to history. We wanted to return the Florida Theatre to its original, authentic self. When the building was renovated in the 1970s, they moved away from that a bit. We wanted to return as accurately as possible to what it looked like in 1927. The challenge was the short time frame we had. The surprise or mystery was the Eberson connection. But we did our research, added some interpretation, and found the harmony and balance we were striving for.”
Over the past four years, the Florida Theatre has raised and spent $15 million on building improvements. Theatre President Numa Saisselin said about $8 million worth of work remains to get the rest of the building “where it needs to be,” which includes Saisselin’s goal of bringing back the original vertical blade sign that used to adorn the Theatre.
“This is one of the last remaining theatres of its kind in our country. And we have to take care of it, nurture it and support it so we can continue to laugh, cry, dance, sing and do all that we do in our beloved Florida Theatre,” said Leslie Gordon, chairperson of the Theatre’s board of directors.
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